Final Fantasy Renaiisance: Abductions
by Frontline
Summary: Lightning's new life is disrupted when she witnesses a woman being abducted.
1. Chapter 1

**Final Fantasy, all characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

Globreim

21:45

Her footsteps echoed loudly in her ears as Simonne hurriedly through the alley, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. Then, a hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her scream as she felt herself dragged backwards...

 _It's very peaceful here,_ Lightning thought, from where she was leaning on the wall, watching the sunset over the river. _So, why do I feel so restless...?_

It's been nearly two months since the destruction of Nova Chrysalia and our rebirth in the New World. It was supposed to have been a new beginning for all of us, a chance for a new start.

 _And it has been, for the others. Sarah and Snow are getting married, Sazh is making up for lost time with Dajh, Hope's been busy setting up his new Academy, Noel's looking out for Yeul and I haven't heard from Fang and Vanille. I thought I'd changed, but I'm still a soldier. Only, there's no war...huh?!_

Lightning's head snapped up as she heard the scream and she looked round to see three men dragging a struggling woman towards a van.

'Hey!' Lightning yelled, breaking in a run.

'Get her in,' one of the men barked, sprinting towards the cab of the van and pulling open the door, the engine spluttering to life. Lightning put on another burst of speed, but she only managed to reach the alley mouth before the woman was bundled into the back and the doors slammed shut, the van roaring away with a screech of tires.

 _Dammit..._ Lightning thought as the van disappeared from sight, reaching for her phone when she saw something lying on the ground. Reaching down to pick it up, she saw that it was a memory stick. Slipping it into her pocket, she took out her phone and keyed in her speed-dial, pressing it to her ear.

 _'Yes?'_

'Hope, it's me. I'm sorry to call so late, but I need a favour...'

 _'Is everything okay, Light?'_

'...yeah. I'll fill you in when I get there...'

 _'...okay, Light. I'll see you in a few..._

Lightning stopped in front of the building and glanced over her shoulder, before punching in the keycode on the pad next to the door. From outside, it looked just like an ordinary apartment and she knew that Hope had gone to great lengths to ensure that it appeared that way. With a hiss, the door slid open and she stepped inside, heading up the stairs towards the upper balcony where Hope was seated at his terminal.

'Hey, Light,' he said. 'Everything okay?'

'I'm not sure.' Lightning said, dropping into the couch next to his desk, quickly recounting what had happened. 'I couldn't get the van's license plate, but I found this at the scene...'

She pulled the memory stick out of her pocket and handed it to Hope, who took it and inserted it into his terminal.

'Hmmm...that's odd. This is encoded...'

'Can you decode it?'

'Probably. But, it's take some time...'

'Alright. Do you still have access to the city's CCTV?'

'Uh-huh,' Hope said and Lightning grabbed a tablet from the desk, bringing up the screen.

 _Let's see what we can find out..._

A hand roughly shoved her and Simonne fell forward, hitting the cold metal floor hard enough to knock the wind out of her and the door slammed shut, pitching the room into darkness...

 **Thank you for reading. Any comments, reviews or constructive criticisms very welcome. Chapter two coming soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Final Fantasy, all characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, nor profit made, from this work of fiction.**

 _Globreim_

 _0630_

'Coffee?' Hope asked and Lightning looked up, wincing at the stiffness in her neck.

'Thanks.'

'No problem,' Hope said, moving to sit beside her. 'You were up all night. Did you find anything?'

'Not much. I found the incident on CCTV, but I still couldn't get a license plate number for the van. I did manage to find out who she is, though.'

Taking a sip of her coffee, she passed the tablet over to Hope, his eyes scanning the screen.

'Simonne Morin. 28 years old. Former employee of Starlight Innovations...that's interesting...'

'What is?'

'I managed to crack the encryption on that memory stick. It's a departure schedule and deck plan of a cargo vessel currently docked at the East Wharf. It's registered to Starlight Innovations.'

'I guess that gives us a place to start,' Lightning said and Hope frowned.

'Hold on, Light. This is a kidnapping. We need to call the Police...'

'And why should they believe us, especially since most of our evidence is illegally obtained? We need to do this ourselves...'

'Alright, alright. I'll do some digging and see what I can turn up. There's a spare room over there. You need to get some rest...'

Lightning shut the door and slipped off her jacket, sitting down on the bed, rubbing her hand over her eyes.

 _I guess a few minutes couldn't hurt..._

'What time is it?' Lightning asked, as she stepped out of the bedroom, pulling her jacket back on.

'Almost 4:00,' Hope said. 'How do you feel?'

'I'm fine. What did you find out?'

'...nothing, really. Starlight Innovations is a scientific research company. Engineering advancements, computing developments, military contracts, medical breakthroughs, diplomatic negotiations, you name it, they've done it. Their CEO is Jean-Christoff Toussaint.'

'Did you find anything about Simmone?'

'Not much. She was with the company about a year until they terminated her contract due to her position 'no longer being required'. If we want to find out anymore, we'll need to be on the inside.'

'Any ideas?'

'One, but you're not going to like it...'

'What is it?'

'There's a reception tonight at their corporate centre. I've already got you an invitation and a dress sorted out.'

 _'Hope...'_

'I said you wouldn't like it. Better scrub up, Light. You've got a party to go to...'

Lightning signed as she stepped under the shower, the warm water easing the last of her aches.

 _A party...why'd it have to be a party? I'd take a straight up fight any day. Or maybe that's the problem. Let's face it, fighting's all you've ever known...snap out of it, you've got work to do..._

'This is ridiculous,' Lightning said, tugging at the red dress that Hope had somehow managed to procure for her. 'I can hardly move in this.'

'You need to look the part, Light.' Hope said, without looking up from his terminal. 'I've wired up a new earpiece for you that should go unnoticed.'

'Thanks.' Lightning said, slipping it into her ear as Hope passed her a small black box.

'I've just finished working on this. It's a Remote Data Access Module. If you can get it into their server, I can download everything from here,' he said, just as the door buzzed sounded.

'That's your ride. Make sure you're home by midnight...'

Simmone looked up when the cell door ground open and Toussaint stepped in, folding his arms over his chest.

'Where the hell am I?' Simmone demanded and Toussaint sighed.

'You don't seem to understand the situation you are in, my dear. You have stuck your nose in where you shouldn't and you have paid the price.'

'I won't tell anyone, I promise. You could let me go...'

'I'm afraid that is impossible. You know too much.'

'What's going to happen to me?'

'You know the secrets of our medical successes, my dear, and now you will get to experience them firsthand. In a few days, this vessel will set sail for Yrouis where we have one of our most prestigious medical research clinics. Fortunately for my...interests, their approach to clinical trials are more flexible than ours. It may be small consolation, but you will help to develop the next generation of pioneering medical techniques.

'Wait...!' Simmone cried as Toussaint stepped out of the cell, the door slamming behind him. 'Wait. Let me out of here. Let me out!'

Lightning stepped out of car and strode up the steps towards the corporate centre, her heels clicking on the stone steps. A large glass-fronted building, it towered towards the sky above her. Reaching the top of the steps, she passed through the doors into the lobby, which was already crowded with people.

 _I'm in,_ she subvocalised. _What now?_

 _'Get a drink,'_ Hope said, his voice crackling in her ear.

 _What?_

 _'There should be someone serving champagne. Have a look around...'_

'Drink, Madame?'

'uh...yes, thank you.' Lightning said, accepting a glass of champagne and taking a sip as the waiter moved off.'

 _Now what?_

 _'Mingle. Now that I know where you are, I can try and find a floor plan and work out where you need to go. Give me a few minutes...'_

 _Hope..._ Lightning hissed, but there was no response. Taking another mouthful of champagne, she started to make her way across the ballroom, almost bumping into a blonde-haired man in a tuxedo.

'I'm sorry...' Lightning began, and the man smiled.

'Do not apologise. These parties are a place to bump into people, non.'

'When you put it that way...'

 _'Exactement._ But, I am forgetting my manners. Bonsoir. I am Alain Corriveau.'

'I'm...Claire,' Lightning said and Alain smiled, reaching out to take her hand and kiss it.

 _'Enchante._ Ah, I believe our host is making an appearance...,' he said as a man with a neatly trimmed goatee stepped out on the balcony above them.

 _Toussaint..._

'My friends,' he said, with a warm smile, 'it is my pleasure tonight to invite you all here. My name is Jean-Christoff Toussaint. During the evening, you will have an opportunity to see what Starlight Innovations can offer. Please, enjoy you.'

'Well, I'm afraid that I am meeting some friends,' Alain said. 'Perhaps will we meet at dinner. Au revoir.'

 _What was that about...? Never mind, you need to find somewhere quiet where you can see what's going on..._

Finishing her champagne, Lightning glanced around and spotted a bar at the back of the room. _Perfect..._

Quickly, she made her way over, dropping onto a stool as the bartender looked up.

'Oui, Madame?'

'Uh...'

'Try the Starlight Mix,' said a dark-haired woman sitting on the next stool.

'Uh...yes, the Starlight Mix,' she said and the bartender nodded.

'Oui, Madame.'

'Thank you.' Lightning said and the woman shrugged.

'No problem,' she said as the bartender brought her drink. 'Cheers.'

'...cheers,' Lightning replied, taking a sip. 'That's not bad.'

'Yeah. The free drinks are the only thing that makes these things bearable. So, what brings you here?'

'Something of an obligation..'

'I know what you mean. Sorry, should have introduced myself. Sargeant Slyvia Jacquinot with the Globheim Police Department. Starlight Innovations produces a lot of our tech, so we need to keep them sweet. Which is why junior officers are 'invited' to these functions...'

'I know how that can feel. I'm Claire...' Lightning began, just as her earpiece crackled.

 _'Sorry to keep you, Light. I've found a way in...'_

Thanks for the drink,' Lightning said, downing the rest of her cocktail and standing up. 'I'm going to get some air...'

 _'There should be a door about 10 metres on you're right,'_ Hope said, as Lightning made her way back across the floor.

 _I see it..._

 _'Okay. That's your way in. I've set up a temporary access code for you. The number is 2-4-6-3-1.'_

 _Got it. Wait one..._

Lightning strolled confidently towards the door and punched in the key code, the door opening with a faint hiss.

 _I'm in..._

 _'Good. Now, 5 metres ahead, there should be an elevator. Get in and go to the 11th floor.'_

 _Okay. Now what?_

 _'Once your at the top, go left and straight through the double doors ahead of you. On your right will be their server room. Use the same password to get in..._

 _Are there any security cameras?_

 _'Yes, but I'll take care of them. Good luck...'_

The elevator doors hissed open and Lightning stepped out quickly, following the corridor to the left until she reached the server room. Glancing over her shoulder, she punched in the keycode and slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her.

 _Alright, I'm inside. What now?_

 _'Look for the local server. That'll be the standalone mainframe for the building, with no wireless connection. If there's anything dodgy, that's where it'll be.'_

 _I see it..._

 _'Good. Find a data-port and plug in the module.'_

Lightning crossed over to the server and pulled the module from her shoulder bag, slipping it into the data-port with a faint click.

 _It's in..._

 _'Alright. Starting download, now...'_

 _How long will it take?_

 _'About ten minutes...'_

The minutes ticked by slowly, with Lightning straining her ears for a sound of footsteps, until Hope said

 _'Okay. It's done. Get back to the elevator and...damn...'_

 _What?_

 _'Two guards are heading you're way. You need to get out of there, now...'_

 _I copy..._

Lightning slipped towards the door and pulled it open, stepping out into the corridor and walking with a measured pace towards the elevator when there was a shout behind her.

 _'Qui etes-vous?_

Lightning continued towards the elevator and pressed the button, as one of the guards called again

 _'Arretez, qui etes-vous?_

The doors to the elevator opened and Lightning turned towards the guards, who were advancing towards her with their hands on their nightsticks.

 _'Arretez, qui etes-v...'_

Lightning's fist struck him across the jaw and he staggered backwards, his colleague staring dumbstruck for a moment until Lightning's elbow slammed into his stomach and he collapsed with a grunt of pain. Before Lightning could move towards the lift, the first guard struggled back to his feet and drew his nightstick, swinging it towards her ribs. She tried to shift left, but the dress got in the way and she took a glancing blow. Fighting down the pain, she grabbed his wrist and drove her knee into his groin, shoving him backwards and stepping into the lift. Grimacing against the pain, she punched the down button and lift doors closed.

 _'Light, are you okay?'_

 _Yeah. A little...winded, that's all. I think the evening's over, though..._

 _'I think you're right. Get back here and we can take a look at what we've got...'_

The lift doors hissed open and Lightning staggered out, leaning against the wall for support as she made her way towards the door that she had come in by and punched in the access code, slipping through as soon as it hissed open. Gritting her teeth, she made her way down the short flight of stairs towards the main doors.

'Hey, you okay?'

Turning her head, Lightning saw Slyvia making her way over, her face tight with concern.

'I'm fine...' She said, taking another step and letting out a grimace of pain.

'Right.' She said, putting Lightning's arm over her shoulder. 'Come on...'

Ignoring Lightning's protests, she helped her across the room and outside towards a dark red car, pulling open the back door.

'Get in.' She said. 'I'll drive you home...'

Slyvia pulled the car up to the curb and looked back at Claire, who was sitting ramrod straight with one hand pressed to her side.

'Hey, we're here...'

'Thanks. I can manage from here...' Claire said, pushing open the door, her face tightening with pain.

'Uh-huh. Come on...'

Slyvia helped her out and they made their way towards the apartment.

 _Hope, we're coming in..._

 _'We? Light, what do you mean...?_

 _No time to explain...just make sure everything's locked down..._ She managed, just as Slyvia pressed the buzzer...

'Light, you okay...?' Hope asked, coming down the stairs as Slyvia helped her towards the couch.

'She's hurt,' Slyvia said. 'I think it's her ribs, not that she'd admit it...'

'She's got you down, Light...' Hope said with a grin, as he knelt next to her and gently pressed his fingers to her side, Lightning biting her lip.

'Sorry. Yeah, you're ribs are bruised, but I don't think anything's broken. I'm going to give you a shot of painkiller and you should try to rest.'

'Okay...'

Quickly, Hope took out a single-use syringe from the medkit and pressed it to Lightning's arm before standing up and turning to Slyvia.

'Could you keep an eye on her for a while? There's something I need to do?'

'Sure...'

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments and constructive criticisms very welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Final Fantasy, all characters and concepts are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

Lightning woke to find herself lying on the couch with a blanket draped over her and a pillow under her head.

'Morning,' Slyvia said as she sat up, running her hand through her hair. 'You looked like you were cold, so...'

'What time is it?'

'Nearly 7:00. Now, do you want to tell me what happened last night?'

'I had a disagreement...'

'Yeah, right, with a couple of security guards. You were investigating Starlight Innovations.'

'What makes you say that?'

'I am a detective,' she said, with a shrug. 'There's been a lot of rumours flying around the department about Starlight, but no-one asks too many questions. It's safer that way...'

'What do you mean?'

'When I joined the force, my Partner asked questions about Starlight and, when he didn't like the answers, he started doing some digging on his own. A week later, he was found dead in an alley with a stab wound in the stomach. The Department concluded that he was killed pursuing a suspect, but...' She shrugged. 'I guess I'll never know for sure...'

'I'm sorry...,' Lightning began as Hope descended the stairs.

'Hey, you're awake. How d'you feel?'

'I'll survive,' Lightning said, pushing back the blanket and sitting up. 'What did you find out?'

'Quite a lot, actually,' Hope said, moving to sit on the other couch. 'I set the computer to scan the files and flag up anything interesting. It's a simple algorithm that looks for common keywords and repeating phrases, large file groups and...

He stopped when he caught their expressions.

'Anyway, one set of files jumped to the top of the list,' he said, handing Lightning a tablet.

'What are these? Medical records?'

'Uh-huh. 32, to be exact, all for a Clinic in Yrouis. Light, I think these are for medical research.'

'Why?'

'Starlight's Medical advances are ahead of the times. Pioneering surgery, new drugs and treatment techniques. And they all have near perfect success rates. The only way they could have achieved that is by perfecting them first. And for that, they'd need...'

'...guinea pigs.'

'I'm afraid so. That's who the ship will be carrying. I've checked the schematics and there are exactly 32 cabins.'

'Alright,' Lightning said, standing up. 'I need you to do me a favour...'

'It's already done, Light. Everyone's on there way. They'll be here in a few hours.'

'Thank you. I'm going to get changed,' Lightning said, heading up the stairs and Slyvia turned to Hope.

'She's pretty hard on herself, isn't she?'

'Yeah. Thanks for keeping an eye on her. I can take it from here...'

'If you're going after Starlight, then I want in...'

'No! Besides, it's too dangerous...'

'They killed my partner. I don't care about that. I'll do it alone, if I have to...'

'...alright.' Hope said. 'I'd make yourself comfortable. Things are about to get a little crazy...'

'What do you mean?' She asked, just as the door buzzer sounded.

'You're about to find out,' Hope said, pressing the intercom. 'Hello...alright, I'll buzz you in...'

A few seconds passed and then the door opened, a dark skinned man in a green jacket with an Afro stepped in, followed by two women. One was tall with black hair, the other a head shorter with red hair and a cheery smile.

'Hi, Sazh,' Hope said, shaking his hand before turning to the women. 'Fang, Vanille. It's good to see you...'

'Hi, Hope...,' Vanille said, giving him a hug and Fang put a hand on his shoulder, glancing over at Slyvia.

'Who's this?'

'Excuse me?' Slyvia began and Hope interrupted.

'This is Slyvia. She's a friend of Light's and works for the Globheim PD. She's already helped us out...'

'...fine. Where's Lightning?'

'...she's upstairs. You can go up...'

'What was that about?' Slyvia asked, watching her go with her arms folded and Hope shrugged.

'Fang takes things pretty seriously, too. Anyway, I need to check out a few things. Sazh and Vanille can keep you company for a while...' He said, heading back upstairs after Fang.

'How do you know Claire?' She asked, sitting back on the sofa and Sazh exchanged a glance with Vanille.

'We...go back a long way and we've been through some rough times. But, we've all got a chance for a new life and we're not going to waste it. The other's will be here, soon. I'm going to fix some coffee before Snow gets it. Anyone else...?'

'Hey,' Fang said and Lightning turned away from where she was staring out of the window.

'Hey...'

'What are you doing, Lightning?'

'What do you mean?'

'You know what I mean. We're supposed to be making new lives for ourselves. After years of fighting, of being on the run, we finally have a chance to put that behind us. What are we doing...?'

'This is important...'

'I figured when you called. But, when this happens, we all come running. What does that say about us?'

'This is bigger than us, Fang. Someone's in trouble and we can help them...'

'...yeah. Yeah, okay. I get it. It'll just be like old times...,' she said, holding out her hand and Lightning took it.

'Yeah, I guess it will...'

Lightning descended the stairs just as the door opened, Snow and Serah stepping inside.

'Hi, Lightning,' she said, wrapping her arms around her waist in a fierce hug. 'It's good to see you...

'Hello, Serah,' Lightning said, putting her hands on her shoulders before glancing over at Snow.

'Lightning,' he said, holding out his hand and she took it.

'Snow. Thank you for coming...'

'No worries. When do we get started...?'

'We're just waiting for Noel. Everyone else is in the lounge. You can go on up...'

'Thanks. You comin' Serah?'

'I'll be there in a minute...'

'Hey,' Snow said as he dropped onto the sofa next to Sazh. 'Been a long time, huh?'

'Yeah. It has. Looks like married life agrees with you, though...'

'I never thought I'd say it, but it does. Serah, well...I'm a lucky guy... Hey, Vanille. How you doin', kid?'

'How long are you gonna keep calling me that?' She pouted and Snow grinned.

'Until you get bigger...kid.'

'Oooohh...,' she said, giving Snow a playful punch on the shoulder, which just made him grin even more.

'Alright, alright...,' He said, holding up his hands, glancing over at Slyvia with a frown.

'Snow, this is Slyvia,' Vanille said, quickly. 'She's a friend of Lightning's.'

'...nice ta meet ya...'

'It's alright, man,' Sazh interjected. 'She knows what's going on...'

'Right. Does Hope still have that punch bag out the back?'

'I guess so...'

'Okay. Someone come and get me when we're ready to start...'

'How are you doing?' Serah asked, as Lightning sat down with two cups of coffee, passing one towards her.

'I'm fine...'

'Really?'

'...of course.'

'Good. That's good. So, what's going on with you?'

'Nothing, really...'

'Are you still working in that Cafe?'

'...yes.'

'There must be some cute guys in there. Or girls...'

'I suppose. Where's this going, Serah?'

'I'm...worried about you, Light. You've been alone for so long and...'

'I'm fine, Serah,' Lightning repeated.

'Really? When was the last time you had some fun?'

'I went to that dinner with you and Snow...

'Two months ago, Light. I mean with someone other than us or Hope. Go to a bar. See a concert...'

'It's my life, Serah...'

'I know. It's just...worry about you...'

'You don't have to,' Lightning said, standing up. 'I'm fine. I need to check something's with Hope. I'll talk to you, later...'

 _That's what worries me..._

Serah stepped out of the kitchen just as the front door opened and a broad-shouldered man with black hair stepped inside.

'Noel...'

'Hey, Serah.' Noel said, with a grin, wrapping her in a hug. 'You okay?'

'...yeah.' She said and Noel folded his arms across his chest. 'Okay. I'm worried about Lightning...'

'She needs to live her own life, Serah. All you can do is be there for her when she needs you.'

'I know. Come on. Everyone's already upstairs...'

' 'bout time you got here.' Snow said, with a grin as Noel sat down next Slyvia.

'Yeah, yeah. I had to find someone to stay with Yeul.' He said, turning towards Slyvia. 'Hi.'

'Hi, yourself...' She began, just as Lightning entered the room.

'Thank you all for coming,' she said, as Hope dimmed the lights and tapping the screen on his tablets, a wireframe image appearing in the middle of the room.

'This is the CC L'Etoile du Nord, a cargo vessel registered to Starlight Industries. Currently, she's transporting 32 people to a medical clinic in Yrouis.'

Hope tapped the tablet again and the wireframe was replaced by the image of a woman.

'This is Simmone Morin, a former employee of Starlight Industries. To the best of our information, she is being held against her will on the L'Etoile. Considering that Starlight uses...questionable medical research, we have to assume that there are others who's participation is unwilling. Either way, our objective remains the same. We need to infiltrate the dock, secure the vessel, locate Simmone and extract her safely. If anyone else wants to come, we can take them, too.'

'And how are we supposed to do that?' Simmone asked, Lightning turning towards her. 'If this dock is owned by Starlight, then there's going to be heavy security.'

'There is,' Lightning nodded. 'Neutralising that security will be Phase 1. We'll land at the edge of the dock, on the south-west side. Sazh, Serah and Fang will secure the area and hold it to cover our extraction. According to our intelligence, there should be three guards on patrol. Once the area is secure, two strike teams will go in. Team 1 will be me, Snow and Fang. We'll take the Bridge and open the bulkheads. Team 2, Hope, Slyvia, Vanille and Noel will locate the cells, free the prisoners and extract them back to the landing site. Make whatever preparations you need. We leave in an hour...'

'You all set?' Noel asked and Slyvia turned from where she had been leaning on the rail of the balcony.

'Yeah...'

'I always hate waiting before a fight,' he said, moving to stand next to her. 'Too much time to think...'

'Yeah...'

'Come on. It's time...'

'Everybody ready?' Sazh asked, strapping himself into the pilot's seat. 'Here we go...'

Reaching up, he flipped the row of switches above him and the Helicopter's blades roared into life.

'Hope, this baby is sweet...'

'What's our ETA to the docks?' Lightning asked from the co-pilot's seat.

'About 3 minutes. You want a magazine...?

'Funny...'

'Thanks. Feels kinda weird, doing this again...'

'Yeah...'

'You...ever think back to those days...'

'...not really...'

'I do. After Nova Chrysalia, when everything feel apart, when I lost Dajh...I'm not gonna take anything for granted. Not many folks get a second lease of life...heads up. Coming up on the drop zone. Switching to whisper mode...'

Sazh flipped another switch on the console and the noise of the rotors dropped off as he brought them into land with barely a bump.

'Alright,' he said, unbuckling his harness. 'Let's get this show on the road...'

Sazh and Fang slipped down the ramp from the helicopter, followed by Serah, moving to crouch behind a shipping container.

'Three guards, just like Lightning said,' Sazh hissed. 'We can...wait, there's two more. We can take them, but not without them raising the alarm...'

'Then, we need a distraction...' Serah said, standing up.

'What are you doing...?' Fang hissed, but Serah started running towards them.

'Help me. Please. He's going to kill me...'

'Crazy girl...' Sazh muttered and Fang helped up her hand.

'Quiet!'

Straining her ears, she could just make out one of the guards.

'Who is, Ma'am?'

'I don't know. He's over there. Please...'

'Wait here,' he said, gesturing to a female guard. 'Coulomb, stay with her. Everyone else, come with me...'

'Get ready.' Fang whispered as the guards moved towards them. 'In three, two, one...go.'

Sash lunged from a crouch, knocking the first guard to the ground, his fist slamming into his jaw and he went limp. Behind him, Fang rose from a crouch, her kick slamming the guard back into the container. The third guard grabbed at Sazh and he drove his elbow into his stomach before taking him down with a shoulder throw, twisting his arm behind his back.

'Just stay still, son...,' he muttered, glancing back to see Fang boot catch the last guard across the temple and he slumped to the ground.

'Signal the others,' she ordered and Sazh nodded, pulling his torch from his backpack and aiming it towards the helicopter, sending three short flashes...

'That's the signal,' Lightning said, turning to Noel. 'Give us two minutes and then move out. Once we secure the bridge, we'll open the bulkheads to the cells.'

'Got it. Good luck,' Noel said and Lightning gestured to the Snow.

'Let's go...'

'Right behind you...'

Together, they ran down the helicopter's ramp towards the boat, storming up the steps and onto the deck. Ahead of them was the bridge, with a set of metal steps leading up to it.

'I see two crew,' Lightning whispered and Snow nodded.

'Yeah. Gonna have to make this quick...'

They slipped quietly up the stairs and Lightning put one hand on the door, glancing at Snow, who nodded. Lightning pushed the door open and Snow barrelled through, Lightning right behind him. The first crew man was caught off guard as Snow slammed him into the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. The second sprang to his feet and swung a punch at Lightning. She casually dodged the blow and swept his leg from under him, his head striking the metal floor and he lay still.

'Is he...' Snow began as Lightning pressed her fingers to his neck, feeling for a pulse.

'No, he's alive.'

'Good. Killing ain't a part of this...'

'Tie them up,' Lightning said, moving to the console. 'I'll get the bulkheads open...'

'Which way?', Noel asked and Hope glanced at his tablet.

'Left here. That should put us outside the bulkhead to the cargo hold...'

'Alright. Let's go...'

They followed Hope down the corridor, coming up against the bulkhead, finding it securely shut.

'What now?', Slyvia asked and Hope shrugged.

'We wait for Lightning.' Vanille said, sitting down with her back against the wall. 'She'll come through...'

'She'd better hurry,' Noel said, drawing himself up. 'We're about to have company...'

'What do you...?' Slyvia asked, as they heard the footsteps approach. 'Oh...'

'Get behind me...' Noel snapped, as two guards rounded the corner, stopping when they saw them. There was a frozen moment and then they drew their nightsticks, advancing towards them.

'Arrete...,' one of them began, just as Noel's fist buried itself in his stomach. Shoving the man backwards into the wall, he blocked a blow from the second guard, sweeping his legs from under him. The first guard struggled back to his feet, swing his nightstick towards Noel and he caught his wrist, punching him across the jaw.

'Look out!' Slyvia yelled, slamming into the second guard and driving her elbow into his ribs to double him over. Grabbing his wrist, she twisted to dump him to the floor just as the bulkhead started to open.

'Go!' Hope yelled, as Noel and Slyvia handcuffed the guards. 'Get the cells open.'

'Got it,' Vanille said, slapping the control on the wall and the doors ground open.

'We're here to help you,' she said, poking her head into the first cell with a cheery smile. Inside, a man was lying on a crude bunk, sporting a nasty black eye. 'What's your name?'

'...Aidan.'

'Hi, Aidan. My name's Vanille. Come on. We're going to get you out.'

'...okay,' Aidan said, standing up and following her outside to where the other prisoners where emerging from their cells.

'Sit tight, okay?' Vanille said to Aidan, moving to check on the other prisoners.

'Simmone Morin?' Noel called, his voice cutting across the clamour. 'Is Simmone Morin here?'

'Yes? Who are you?'

'My name's Noel. We found the memory stick that you dropped and...it's a long story. Right now, we need to move. How are we doing, Vanille?'

'Mostly cuts and bruises. We can treat them properly once we get out of here.'

'Alright, everyone. Let's go. Follow me. Hope, make sure no-one falls behind...'

'I hate waiting,' Sazh muttered, glancing over at Fang. 'It feels like they've been in there for years...'

'We've got company,' Fang said and Sazh followed her gaze to where figures were emerging from the boat and heading towards them.

'They're out,' Fang said. 'Signal Lightning.'

'Right,' Sazh said, pulling out his flashlight again just as Noel reached them, followed by a line of people.

'Alright, folks. Everyone onboard and grab a seat, Sazh said, Vanille and Serah leading them up the ramp as Lightning and Snow arrived.

'Everyone alright?' Lightning asked and Noel nodded.

'A few injuries, but nothing serious...'

'What are we going to do with them?' Snow asked.

'We can drop them off wherever they want to go. I doubt Starlight will bother coming after them.'

'What about Simmone?' Hope interjected and Lightning turned towards him.

'That's up to her. For now, we need to get her somewhere safe...'

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms very welcome.**


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